Existing law requires that before operating a center for the treatment of trauma, a hospital must obtain the approval of the Administrator of the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services and, if the hospital is located in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (currently only Clark County), the district board of health. (NRS 450B.236, 450B.237) Existing law also requires the Administrator to verify that a hospital meets certain standards and complete a comprehensive assessment of needs before approving a proposal to designate a hospital as a center for the treatment of trauma. (NRS 450B.237) Existing law requires the State Board of Health to adopt regulations establishing the standards for the designation of hospitals as centers for the treatment of trauma. (NRS 450B.237) Existing regulations authorize the Administrator to designate a center for the treatment of trauma as level I, II or III. (NAC 450B.780-450B.875) Section 5 of this bill provides explicit statutory authorization for the State Board of Health to adopt regulations establishing specific levels of trauma care that a hospital may be designated to provide, including regulations that allow the designation of a critical access hospital that meets certain requirements as a level IV center for the treatment of trauma. Section 4 of this bill prohibits the operator of a center for the treatment of trauma from representing that the center for the treatment of trauma provides a specific level of treatment unless the center has been designated by the Administrator to provide that level of treatment.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 450B.236, 450B.237
Reprint 2: 450B.236, 450B.237
As Enrolled: 450B.236, 450B.237
BDR: 450B.236, 450B.237